New York City has recorded a slight decrease in overall crime in the early months of the fiscal year, with transit-related offenses also seeing a decline, according to preliminary figures from Mayor Eric Adams’ forthcoming report released by The New York Post.
The administration is expected to highlight a 7% reduction in subway crime, along with fewer car thefts (-9%), grand larcenies (-3%), robberies (-4.8%), and burglaries (-2.8%) between July and October 2024, compared to the same period the previous year, a City Hall insider revealed.
“We are working to make New York the best city for families, which means improving safety, affordability, and quality of life for working-class residents,” Adams said. “Whether it’s curbing crime in public spaces, cracking down on auto thefts, or making the subway safer, we remain committed to keeping New York the safest big city in the country.”
The figures, sourced from the Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report, will be officially released Thursday, offering a broader assessment of city services and safety efforts.
Despite the downward trend in major crime, recent high-profile violent incidents have left New Yorkers on edge. Last month, a woman was set on fire while sleeping on an F train in Coney Island when a suspect threw a lit match onto her. More recently, a teen was brutally struck with a hammer on a Bronx D train after refusing to give up his seat. The same day, police arrested a repeat offender for allegedly shoving a woman onto the tracks of an approaching A train in Manhattan.
Criminologist Aaron Chalfin, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, notes that while short-term figures indicate stability, subway violence has increased significantly over the past decade. One of the most striking trends, according to Chalfin, is that assaults have become the primary driver of subway crime, rather than financially motivated offenses like robbery.
“In the past, many violent crimes were linked to gangs, drug markets, or botched robberies,” he explained. “Now, we’re seeing a growing number of homicides and assaults that stem from personal conflicts with no clear financial motive.”
Chalfin’s study also found a strong link between repeat subway offenders, mental illness, and homelessness. Analyzing NYPD arrest data from 2023 to 2024, he discovered that among individuals arrested four or more times in the subway, where at least one charge was for a violent crime: 80% had documented mental health issues, and 90% had experienced homelessness at some point.
